Too Much Salt Does The Body Bad – Why You Need To Reduce Your Daily Intake

POSTED ON March 9, 2016 BY Justin Cowart

By Justin Cowart

All things in moderation… right? Well, when it comes to salt, it is likely that you are not only getting way too much, but you are also doing damage to your body and mind.

Salt is an important part of your body because of how necessary it is for your nerves to send signals throughout your body. In fact, salt will team up with potassium in order to relay important signals throughout the body.

Even if you are getting enough potassium though, you need to be very cautious about the amount of saltyou are consuming each day. Many prepackaged and frozen foods are loaded with salt in order to help with the preservation and shelf life of the product. Though this helps with your ability to store food for longer periods of time, the salt ends up inside your body and can cause some serious problems.

How Much Is Too Much?

Did you know that back in 2010, more than a whopping 90% of all United States teens and even adults consumed way more than the recommended levels of salt? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even reported that these numbers stretch all the way back to 2003.

Dr. Niu Tian, CDC medical officer and co-author, stated that,

“Salt intake in the U.S. has changed very little in the last decade.”

The researchers, despite finding a slight drop in overall salt consumption in kids who are younger than 13, found out that 80%-90% of childrenstill tend to consume way more than the amount that is recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow says,

“There are many organizations that are focused on reducing dietary salt intake.”

The CDC reported on data that was taken from a national survey that involved about 25,000 different people and was conducted between the years 2003 and 2010. The results of the survey showed that most Americans still knowingly consume an average of 3,400 milligrams, which is about a teaspoon and a half of salt every single day.

For Americans, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines highly recommend for people who are 14 to 50 years old to limit their daily salt intake to just2,300 mg.

Yet, according to their own guidelines, this amount of salt is still way too much for about half of Americans.People who are over the age of 50 that have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes should actually strive for restricting their salt intake to 1,500 mg a day.

What Excess Salt Does To The Body

America’s love of salt has continued unabated through the 21st century, putting people at risk for high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, U.S. health officials said just the other day.

A sprinkle of salt can bring out the flavor of just about any dish. However, it is well known that too much can lead to high blood pressure, a potentially dangerous condition if left untreated. Now scientists report a new animal study that found a high-salt diet might also contribute to liver damage in adults and the development of embryos.

Reduce salt by checking labels. Don’t use table salt (try using Himalayan instead). Cook your own food as often as possible, reduce packaged frozen meals and increase your potassium intake. Find more tips HERE on how you can help take control of your salt intake.

Do you have any further ideas or tips for reducing the amount of salt you consume on a daily basis? Please share with us in the comments below!

Justin Cowart is a writer and researcher that loves to learn more about health, life, consciousness and making the world a better place. He loves music, traveling, meditation, video games and spending time with family and friends. He believes in baby steps and lifestyle changes in order to live a full life. In 2014, he lost around 40lbs from baby steps and emotional detoxing.

Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.

-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health

Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.